What are Local Government rates and who pays them?
Council rates are a contribution each property owner makes towards the cost of providing facilities and services in their local community. Anyone owning residential, rural, vacant, industrial or commercial property in the Shire of East Pilbara is a ratepayer. Some government bodies, educational and registered charitable organisations are exempt from paying Council rates.

Where does the money go?
Rates are used to build and maintain the Shire's roads, parks, gardens, sporting facilities and to operate a multitude of community services.

When does the rate year run?
The rate year is 1 July to 30 June, the same as the Shire's financial year.

When will new rates be issued?
Rate notices can be issued any time after 1 July.

How are my rates calculated?
How much you pay depends on the value of your property. This value is determined by the State Government’s Landgate (formerly Valuer General’s Office [VGO]) in one of two ways, depending on the type of property you own:For properties that are predominately used for rural purposes, the Unimproved Value (UV) of the land is used. This is an estimate of the value of the land of the property assuming no improvement on the land.For properties that are predominately used for non-rural purposes, such as residential, industrial and business, the Gross Rental Value (GRV) is used. This is the estimate of the total rent that may be received from the property in one year. For more information on GRV and UV, visit the Landgate website.This value is then multiplied by the Council’s rate-in-the-dollar to determine your property’s annual rates.

The Shire of East Pilbara's rate-in-the-dollar is determined each year at Budget time. Rates-in-the-dollar may vary for different categories of UV or GRV properties. This is called a Differential Rating System. Each year a minimum rate applies which is the minimum amount any property owner will be asked to contribute. This ensures a fair contribution is made by all property owners, regardless of their property’s value.

Can I object to paying my rates?
It is possible for you to object to your property’s rate record in two circumstances: If you are not the owner of the property for which you have received a rate notice and you believe your property is non-rateable.You can appeal your rate notice by contacting the Shire of East Pilbara on (08) 9175 8000 within 42 days of your rate notice being issued.

Objections to your property’s valuation should be directed to Landgate within 60 days of your rate notice being issued. Call (08) 9273 7373 or visit Landgate's website.

See the reverse of your rate notice for more information.

What if I have moved?
If you have changed ownership of a property or moved house please contact the Council within 21 days to complete a change of name/address and ownership forms. Keeping our records up to date means the Council can ensure rate notices are forwarded to the correct address and avoids customers incurring any unwanted penalties including interest on overdue rates.

I am about to sell my property and there are still rates to be paid – how is this worked out?
This is done by your settlement agent at settlement, who will apportion the rates accordingly between the buyer and seller.